Thyroid disorder decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims will be reconsidered with consideration of potential exposure at Fort Eustis and Johnston Atoll.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of carcinoma of thyroid due to a duty to assist error and insufficient evidence regarding radiation exposure during service. The Veteran's condition is related to service, including possible exposure to radiation from Chernobyl.

The Veteran's service connection claims for prostate cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and postsurgical hypothyroidism with left partial thyroidectomy are remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Panama.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied. The appeal as to entitlement to a TDIU from January 26, 2017 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypothyroidism, claimed as due to exposure to herbicide agents, is denied because the condition was found to be due to an intercurrent cause (thyroidectomy and ablation with radioactive iodine), not related to his in-service exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypothyroidism, finding that it was not present during his active service and is not otherwise etiologically related to such service.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, hypoparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, atrial fibrillation, and chloracne scar are all denied as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure in service.

The Veteran's thyroid residuals do not manifest as myxedema, and therefore the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided are inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a clinician to address service connection on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for papillary thyroid carcinoma was granted with an effective date of October 3, 1995. This decision is based on the identification of relevant service records that were not previously associated with his claims file.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for eczema and hypothyroidism have been remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for lung cancer and remanded the issues of service connection for thyroid disorder and lumbosacral strain due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the preexistence and aggravation of the Veteran's hypothyroidism during his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypothyroidism was denied in June 2014, but granted effective from September 23, 2008, due to the addition of hypothyroidism to the list of presumptive herbicide agent-related diseases. The Veteran disputes this effective date and seeks an earlier one.

The Board dismissed the appeal as to the proposal to sever service connection for hypothyroidism because it was not a final rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, characterized as Osgood-Schlatter Disease - Osteochondromatosis, and manifested by pain and limited motion. Service connection for hypothyroidism is also granted.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism has been service-connected since October 10, 2014. The Board finds the February 2023 VA examination inadequate due to its failure to address the Veteran's relevant medical history and remands for an adequate examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the claims for chronic kidney disease and an increased rating for chronic epididymo-orchitis.